Tensions between individuals and society. An interdisciplinary dialogue between Social Theory and Discourse Studies

Abstract

With the gal of addressing certain theoretical and methodological problems related to the tension between the social and the individual dimensions of our research, in this paper we establish an interdisciplinary dialogue between Sociology and Linguistics. By doing so, our objective is to build bridges between Discourse Analysis and Contemporary Sociological Theory. Thus, in order to underline the interpretative and situated features of the practice of social research, we carry on a critical perspective into our disciplines. On the one hand, we expose a critical revision of the scope and limitations of discourse analysis concerning social agents’ experiences. On the other hand, we link that revision to the contributions of the sociological approach known as micro-interactionism. The overhaul on these two theoretical fields will let us outline a methodological proposal which emphasizes how relevant it is to analyse the micro elements of face to face interactions and the structural dimension that influence them, both in an articulated approach. We settle this heuristical challenge by providing two analytical examples from our own research.